Opponents of The Casino at East Greenbush hold forum

In this file photo from May 19, 2014, Bill Early of East Greenbush pickets at Columbia High School in East Greenbush, N.Y., where a informational hearing was held on the proposed East Greenbush Casino.
Mike McMahon - The Record

EAST GREENBUSH >> More than 120 people attended a meeting to discuss the options available for those residents who are against having a casino constructed in the town.

Citizens group Save East Greenbush held Thursday night’s forum in an effort to raise awareness about the negative effects the casino could have on the community.

“This is a big decision for our town,” says SEG member Dwight Jenkins. “We want to provide an opportunity for the community to learn as much as it can during this process.”

Les Bernal, the national director of Stop Predatory Gambiling, who has made television appearances on 60 Minutes, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and BBC, along with radio broadcasts on NPR, was the featured speaker.

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Bernal discussed how many heads of major casinos and slot machine companies do not believe in gambling and how casinos usually bring issues with gambling addicts.

“Casinos bring more gambling addicts than jobs,” said Bernal, who also took questions from the audience at the First United Methodist Church.

He and some members of the audience voiced the importance of communicating with the town board members on the issue regularly.

“This issue is the poster child for what’s broken in our nation,” he added.

Everyone who spoke gave information and opinions that were against developing the proposed $300 million casino.

SEG’s event follows a town board meeting during which dozens of people voiced their opinions about the proposal. While the majority were against the casino, a handful did speak in favor of the project.

A town-sponsored public forum is slated for June 4 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Genet Elementary School.